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It's official, he is weaning himself!

My baby is only 10 months old and I am coming to except the fact that he is indeed weaning himself. This has been ongoing for a few months now. I've tried everything to get him to drink his milk. Nursing before and after naps, laying down with him, and offering him a bottle of breast milk. He doesn't want anything to do with it during the day. I can get him to drink maybe 2 ounces and that is it. He still nurses a little (only one side) before he goes to bed and he still wakes up at night to nurse a little at 11, 3, and 6. I don't know how much he is actually drinking during those sessions.

My question is, should I be offering him some other liquid during the day. He has a few sips of water with meals, but nothing other than that. Should I go ahead and offer cow's milk even though we are a little early. I don't know if he will drink it, considering that he won't take breastmilk from a bottle. What do you think?

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

I dont think cow's milk is recommended until after a year. Can you try giving him some bm in a sippie cup? At 10 months you should also probably be able to give some diluted juices...check with your pediatrician.

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

It doesn't sound like he weaning himself at all. It's sounds like he is reverse cycling. Often babies at this age are just too distracted by what they are learning(Crawling, cruising learning to stand and walk)and all the exploring they are doing to be interested in eating during the day. . Based on what you are saying he is still eating 4times in a 24hours period. While I can understand why you'd rather he eat more during the day, he is still getting plenty when he eats at night. I would offer water with meals, but as far as worrying about how much liquid he's taking in, as always, the answer is in the diapers. If you are getting 5-6 wet diapers a day, your baby is taking in enough liquid. By 10 months, while they are often distracted, they can be trusted to regulate intake. Trust your baby, if he's really thirsty he will drink. At that age, I spent a lot of time with my top off. To "remind him" about breastmilk while playing. He did a bunch of "driveby feedings" That's where he would take a few sips while climbing over me or using me to balance himself in a standing position pr when crawling by me on the floor. But don't be too worried. Their ability to get what they need wwhile reverse cycling in very short periods of time is amazing. Count diapers. Your are more than probably fine!

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

My son did this about this age, and I agree with the PP. He is still nursing at 14 months and believe me, lol, it is worse now!!! He is so busy, that sometimes I have to remind him he is still nursing.

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

So it is normal that he doesn't want to drink milk during the day? He has never slept through the night. He has always wanted his milk every 3 hours day and night. Then the day time feedings just started to dwindle and now its at nothing. So basically I guess he weaned the wrong way. Most babies night wean and he daytime weaned instead. Does this mean that inorder to sleep through the night I am going to have to wean him completely?

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

Oh! Is it about sleep? I wouldn't say MOST babies night wean 1st....you hear a lot of talk here about it because it's where a lot of mothers like to start the process....but reverse cycling is actually very common and again, especially at this particular age when they are sooo..... BUSY! I hope you don't have to wean due to a lack of sleep. Realistically, if "at least a year" is your goal, you're goal is only 8weeks away! It's very likely that the behavior may completely over by then. My advice is just be patient. The way you are when the teething has us all up every 1.5 hours all night or has a kid latched to a tit for 5 hours straight for two weeks straight! Really IME NOTHING is ever worse than teething. Try to nap during the day and try to be patient. This too shall pass.

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

Originally Posted by DJ's Mom

Oh! Is it about sleep? I wouldn't say MOST babies night wean 1st....you hear a lot of talk here about it because it's where a lot of mothers like to start the process....but reverse cycling is actually very common and again, especially at this particular age when they are sooo..... BUSY! I hope you don't have to wean due to a lack of sleep. Realistically, if "at least a year" is your goal, you're goal is only 8weeks away! It's very likely that the behavior may completely over by then. My advice is just be patient. The way you are when the teething has us all up every 1.5 hours all night or has a kid latched to a tit for 5 hours straight for two weeks straight! Really IME NOTHING is ever worse than teething. Try to nap during the day and try to be patient. This too shall pass.

It isn't completely about sleep. It's just that he never slept through the night. So if I ever want him to, I'm afraid I am going to have to wean him. I can't seem to get him to drink milk during the day at all. I will keep offering. I want this to be a phase, but I don't think it is.

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

My son was exactly like that around 10 months. He completely stopped BF during the day. He would bite me if I tried to nurse him. I was going crazy spoon-feeding him EBM and weighing his diapers. Everybody (including a pediatrician) told me he was self-weaning. (Thankfully I have Kellymom and this site which told me babies don't self-wean before 18-24 months.) Well he is 21 months old now and he is still nursing. He still nurses 4 times during the day and twice at night. He gradually came back to the breast during the day and his night time feedings got less as he started eating more during the day. Their behavior change so fast that it is impossible to predict what they will do tomorrow. Just keep offering the breast, if he latches on sing to him while he BF, play with his toes to keep him entertained. He will come back to day feedings and he will eventually feed less at night.

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

My daughter isexcatly the same way. She is now nine months but she would only eat at night from five or six months on. I was like youwith no sleep and though my bg was just not interested in me anymore! It was very hard for me...not for her. But she would always wake up to eat at night every three hours.

So, I had to do something about it. I did not let her CIO but I did NOT feed her for one night when she woke up. I would go to her when she woke up and rock her and sing to her and get her back to sleep, but I refused to feed her. In one night, she learned to eat again during the day and it also helped her sleep through the night better.

We still have some relapses when our schedule gets messed up but we do not have anymore problems with not eating during the day. I should also say that she is a very efficient eater too, which has alwasy been hard for me because an entire feeding takes five minutes at the most. two or three minutes on each side. The first morning feeding (anywhere between 5-7) is always the longest, maybe 10-15 minutes. I highly recommend trying this. I can sleep at night (the majority of the time)

Re: It's official, he is weaning himself!

Cow's milk is not recommended for children under 1 year. I know you know that, but just as a reminder, and since you are so close, it seems that sticking it out for a few more months is logical. Reverse cycling is tough. It will get better, and your baby will sleep better at night. This age is a tough time to change routines and patterns, because they are just realizing they are separate from their mamas. Water is fine with meals, but if you want to continue nursing, one option might be to offer breastmilk more and solids less, stop the use of artificial nipples and do a lot of skin to skin time (like Shelly was talking about above). That part is up to you though.